Arizona Department of Health Services

Residents in Maricopa and Other Counties Had Fewer Babies in 2007

Mental Health MASQUERADE

Litigation over care fo rArizona's mentally ill ended four years ago. Sowhy have private attorneys racked up more than $1 million in fees since then?

Mrs. Good Retch

The state's antitobacco ads get more nauseating--and popular--by the week

Letters

The state's antitobacco ads get more nauseating--and popular--by the week

Sanitary Clause

Food safety requirements get a needed overhaul

Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Jails Lose National Accreditation

Food safety requirements get a needed overhaul

Up in Smoke

Looking for a place to puff

Emergency Brake

The state tries to halt out-of-control ambulance contracts — but cities might have the last word

The New Meth

When it comes to preventing -- and treating -- crystal meth addiction, Arizona may be getting a clue

Hope I Die Before I Get Old

Arizona has the power to make nursing homes provide good care. Too bad it doesn't use it

Kid Drownings

After decades of failure, the well-intentioned still don't get it

Fire

Phoenix's negligence left hundreds sick from toxic fumes. It's only a matter of time before it happens again.

Bat Scratch Fever

Everything you always wanted to know about rabies -- but were afraid to touch

Sack-A-Flack

State health department's respected spokesman gets his walking papers

Is It Time To Pull The Thug?

Gang style blasts through popular culture. Can the media be used to fight back?

A STUDY IN INDIFFERENCEAFTER EIGHT YEARS, THE STATE STILL HASN'T FINISHED A PROMISED INVESTIGATION INTO THE MARYVALE "CANCER CLUSTER"

Gang style blasts through popular culture. Can the media be used to fight back?

Swine Flu Arizona -- Nothing Yet Reported in State or Sonora, Mexico

Image: Deanna Dent-- http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/slideshow/Mexico tourists wearing masks The swine flu situation in Arizona hasn't changed much since yesterday's post, except for a stockpiling of antiviral medications.Officials are telling Tucson media that Arizona still hasn't reported any cases ... More >>

Swine Flu Arizona: Two More Schools Closed; Four Cases Confirmed, None Serious

Image: Wikicommons Two more Valley schools will close for seven days after students were found to have swine flu, but health officials say all four known Arizona swine flu cases have been mild. (Note: This article was updated at 3:40 p.m.) The two schools are Tarwater ... More >>

Maternal Deaths are Below Average in Arizona; Treasurer's Wife was at Higher Risk Due to Age

  The death of a mother during or just after childbirth, like that of Arizona Treasurer Dean Martin's wife, Kerry, is a relatively rare occurence these days, compared to most of human history. Still, the problem remains "significant," says the Centers for Disease Control and Preventio ... More >>

Nearly Half of Doctors in Poll Fear a "Catastrophic" Global Swine Flu Pandemic is Coming. Preparing For Sick Days a Must

Nearly half (48 percent) of 675 physicians polled by a research group believe the H1N1 virus poses some risk for a "catastrophic" global Swine Flu pandemic. The study, done by HCD Research, tracked physicians' opinions weekly since April and found doctors' concerns at an all-time high. "Our ... More >>

Hot Links: Child Care, Photo Radar, and Free Mercury Tickets

​The Arizona Department of Health Services will increase its fees for close to 2000 child state care facilities. The current licensing fee for child care providers is $150 for three years. With the increase, licenses will cost between $581 and $13,442, depending on the number of children...It's be ... More >>

Hot Links: Inmate Escapes, Food Stamps, and Teen Pimps

​An inmate escaped from the State Prison Complex in Florence Sunday morning, after cutting a hole in a fence. Police are still searching for the escapee, Yelson Moreno, 20, a Mexican national who was serving a 30-month sentence for theft...Transportation officials at the Maricopa Association of Go ... More >>

Gotcha! State Hospital Escapee Busted in California

Jorge Murillo​We caught wind of this a few hours ago but couldn't confirm it until now -- Jorge Murillo, the state hospital "patient" who escaped custody last week by hopping two fences without anyone seeming to notice, has been captured. Murillo, a 40-year-old Honduran national, who recent ... More >>

Beware of Buying Phoney H1N1 "Cures" Online, Attorney General Terry Goddard Warns

​ Don't buy flu products online without your doctor's advice, or you'll probably get scammed. That's the message today from Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard. Flu cases are at epic levels in Arizona. Last week alone there were 1,588 new cases of swine flu -- totaling 5,226 since April, ... More >>

Arizona Department of Health Services is Saying Holiday Kisses Are a No-No

www.jollydevilla.com​If the Arizona Department of Health Services had its way, your Thanksgiving dinner would probably be more like visiting a relative in a county jail than a fun family meal. 

Health Department Turns to Google to Help Stop the Spread of Pig Flu. Is There Anything Google Can't Do?

wwwuthpastor.com ​ Google has made it possible for the average person to see their house from space, get a 360 degree view of almost any street in the country, and now the company is taking on swine-flu. The Arizona Department of Health Services announced today that it is partnering with ... More >>

DHS Releases Top Baby Names, and "Logan" One of Arizona's Faves; Thanks For Nothing Baywatch

​The folks over at the Arizona Department of Health Services seem to have taken a short break from combating pig flu to tackle one of the more, um, pressing issues: Compiling a list of the most popular baby names in Arizona.This year's big winners: Jacob for the boys and Isabella for the ladie ... More >>

ADHS: 2009 Most Rabid Year in Arizona History

www.deviantart.net​In China, 2009 was the year of the cow. In Arizona, however, 2009 may have been the year of the rabid bobcat.Officials at the Arizona Department of Health Services say there were more cases of rabies in 2009 than in any other year to date, including at least two rabid bobc ... More >>

Power Out? Save Your Food While Enjoying Takeout

Stock up on dry ice, or you'll have to eat all this fast...​Last night's storm knocked out power in some sections of the Valley -- and with more thunderstorms expected this weekend, some of you could be facing a few nights of candles and takeout. Oh, darn. We hate being without electri ... More >>

Rabies, Rabies, and More Rabies. Recent Bobcat Attacks and Kids Thinking Bats Are Cuddly Pets Has Health Department Concerned

www.icanhazcheezburger.com​The Arizona Department of Health Services today issued a warning for Arizona residents over an influx in rabies cases seen around the state, and the usual suspects are once again bats and bobcats.According to the ADHS, there were three bobcat attacks in Arizon ... More >>

Egg Recall Hits Arizona, Threatens Runny Egg Lovers

​Like your eggs runny? You might not, after reading this post. Dr. Joli Weiss, foodborne disease epidemiologist for the Arizona Department of Health Services, confirms that some of the 228 million tainted eggs involved in the national recall making news all over the place were, in fact, distr ... More >>

Three Other FDA Recalls You Haven't Heard About

​We admit that we don't typically spend a lot of time perusing the recall press releases on the Food and Drug Administration website, but in a quest to find an update on that whole egg mess (update: millions more eggs have been toss into the suspicious pile; here's the latest from the Arizona ... More >>

Prop 203 -- the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act -- Puts the Chronic in Chronic Pain

​We admit that we don't typically spend a lot of time perusing the recall press releases on the Food and Drug Administration website, but in a quest to find an update on that whole egg mess (update: millions more eggs have been toss into the suspicious pile; here's the latest from the Arizona ... More >>

Cheese from Costco Likely Tied to E.Coli Cases, Officials Say

  ​This just in from the Arizona Department of Health Services: You might want to think twice before cutting the cheese. From a DHS news release sent out this afternoon: More than two dozen cases of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in five states are likely tied to cheese sold or tasted at ... More >>

Another Sex Offender Escapes From State Hospital

​Don't panic, or anything, but for the second time in about a year, a sex offender escaped from the state mental hospital.The escape happened about two weeks ago, when a sex offender in the hospital's minimal security transitional reintegration program scaled a fence and escaped into downtown Phoe ... More >>

Draft Rules for Medical Marijuana Released by State

​The Arizona Department of Health Services released a draft of rules today for the launch of a medical-marijuana program authorized by the voter-approved Proposition 203.Let the debate begin.The draft rules place additional restrictions on the law in terms of what defines a doctor-patient relation ... More >>

Proposed Rules on Medical Marijuana are Illegal, "Cruel and Unreasonable," Says Valley Doctor

​ Proposed restrictions on Arizona's voter-approved medical marijuana law are worse than illegal, says one Valley doc -- they're "cruel and unreasonable." Edgar Suter, a Mesa doctor of nuclear medicine, writes in an a lengthy call-to-arms today that the state Department of Heal ... More >>

Doctors Recommending Medical Marijuana to be Scrutinized by State and Medical Boards

  Will Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, explains how rules for the state's medical pot system attempt to screen out recreational users.​A state database under development will help regulators figure out whether money-minded doctors and recreational pot use ... More >>

Arizona's Medical Marijuana Law in One Handy Guide

  Will Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, explains how rules for the state's medical pot system attempt to screen out recreational users.​A state database under development will help regulators figure out whether money-minded doctors and recreational pot use ... More >>

Arizona Department of Health Services Approves 68 Percent of Medical Marijuana Applications on Day One

hempbeach.com​Thursday was the first day for hopeful medical marijuana patients to apply for their voter-mandated medicine, and ADHS spokeswoman Laura Oxley tells New Times the Arizona Department of Health Services approved 44 out of the 65 applications processed by 3 p.m. The department ende ... More >>

April 15 In Blogs: Phoenix Pride, The Black Keys, Patron XO, and Medical Marijuana

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Horse Herpes Hits Arizona. If You Just Thought "I Need Condoms," That's a Problem

www.cornell.eduSlut​Cody Beck is a 19-year-old college student from Prescott who we wrote about last year in regards to his sexual attraction to horses -- and he better start wrappin' it up; horse herpes has hit Arizona.The Arizona Department of Health Services just announced that an Arizona ... More >>

Horse Herpes Forces Closure of Queen Creek Park

A horse in Arizona does.​An outbreak of horse herpes has forced the closure of a Queen Creek Park.Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre will be closed through at least June 2 to prevent the spread of the horse herpes, which is currently spreading throughout the Southwest.

Arizona Medical Marijuana Program in Trouble: Brewer Halts Dispensary Permits Will Seeking Federal Ruling on Legality -- **Update With Gov's Statement

​ Arizona leaders are preparing to ask to the feds to put a halt to Arizona's medical marijuana program. * UPDATE: Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne says no dispensary permits will be issued until a federal court rules on the legality of the program. He's not sure how long that will take. * ... More >>

Good News: Horse Herpes Contained

​According to the Arizona Department of Agriculture, the horse herpes that have plagued Arizona equine for over a month has been contained.In mid-May, the Arizona Department of Health Services announced that an Arizona horse tested positive for the Equine Herpes Virus.

Governor Jan Brewer Says Feds' New Letter on Medical Pot Proves She Took "Proper Course of Action" in Derailing Dispensary Program

Governor Jan Brewer​Governor Jan Brewer believes that a "clarification" by the feds on medical-marijuana programs proves she took the "proper course of action" in halting the voter-approved dispensary program.Brewer and state Attorney General Tom Horne filed a declaratory judgment in federal ... More >>

Legality of Medical Marijuana Clubs in Arizona Questioned by State Officials

Image: Arizona Department of Health ServicesWill Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, writes in his latest blog post that his agency has "serious concerns" about the legality of cannabis clubs.​ The rise of medical marijuana clubs in Arizona is giving state ... More >>

Will Humble, Health Services Director, Asked AG to Review Cannabis Clubs After Reading New Times Article

​ Will Humble, director of the state Department of Health Services, got the notion to ask the state Attorney General's office whether cannabis clubs were legal after reading last week's feature article in New Times, says a DHS spokeswoman.We figured that might have been the case and wrote in a ... More >>

Marijuana Growing Operation Found in Glendale Business

Image: Wikimedia Commons​ If you're missing a marijuana growing business, maybe it's the one Glendale police found last month.Dozens of pot plants were found sprouting in a commercial business space near 57th Avenue and San Miguel Street on July 28, but the owners still haven't been found, say ... More >>

DEA Raids Medical Marijuana Club in Tempe, Accuses Owners of Running Illegal Dispensary

Image: Facebook Arizona Go Green Co-Op's logo. The medical marijuana club was raided yesterday by the DEA.​Days after helping Phoenix police take down violent gang members, the DEA has gone after a softer target: A medical marijuana club in Tempe.Agents began showing up at the AZ Go Green C ... More >>